How to Model in SketchUp: A YouTube Video Guide

When you're learning to model in 3D, sometimes seeing a modelling technique in action explains more than words ever could. SketchUp 2014 For Dummies author Aidan Chopra has a YouTube channel with videos that demonstrate SketchUp basics, as well as specific tips and techniques for more experienced modelers.

The following lists are your guide to the YouTube channel. Each of these videos can stand on its own. If you have SketchUp 2014 For Dummies, however, you find more details and context about each topic in the book. Just look for the corresponding chapter number in parentheses next to the video title.

How to do basic 3D modelling in SketchUp

If you're beginning to learn 3D modelling in SketchUp, the following videos show you some basic modelling techniques:

Tips for grouping and selecting elements in SketchUp

When you're creating a 3D model, you'll have a much easier time if you know the techniques for selecting just what you want and if you understand how to organize key parts of your model into groups. The following videos help you get started:

After you get the hang of selecting and grouping, check out the Putting It All Together video (Chapter 7), which shows how you to use groups, the Outliner, and maybe even SketchUp Layers to keep your model organized and easy work with.

How to use SketchUp components

In SketchUp, components enable you to add premade elements (like furniture, windows, trees, or maybe even a friendly dog) to your models. What's more, you can update every instance of a component, so you can easily experiment with different window styles on a building, or change all the bushes in a landscape to apple trees, so you have a little orchard.

How to add and subtract shapes from each other

Sometimes, the easiest way to create a model is by adding or subtracting one shape to or from another. In the 3D-modelling-speak, this trick is called a solid modelling operation. In SketchUp, you use the Solid Tools to do it. For an introduction to the Solid Tools, take a look at this video: Checking out the Solid Tools(Chapter 6).

How to model with photos

SketchUp has several features that enable you to create a 3D model based on a 2D photo. In the following videos, you can see a few of these photo-modeling features in action: